The Ice Princess
by tytan117
Summary: 15 year old Weiss never gave much thought as to why she wanted to be a huntress. She chose to simply because she looked up to her sister, Winter. But when an old friend return after three years, the events that followed made Weiss realize what it truly meant to be a huntress. (Inspired by the Weiss Character Short)
1. Prologue

**Hi, everybody. This is my first attempt at writing a story. I originally wanted to finish most of this when RWBY Volume 5 started, but never had the time to get around to it until now.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story. And please give me some feedback I would really appreciate it.**

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"WINTER!"

Weiss shouted, pinned to the ground by a white Beowulf made of ice, as a group of other similar Beowulf lunged at her, their snarling maws ready to rip her throat open. She tried to cover herself, but the Beowulf's grip was too strong. With no other option left, Weiss closed her eyes, awaiting her fate... but it never came. Instead, eyes still closed, she felt the weight of the Beowulf dissipate, turning into snow and returning to the snowstorm that surrounded her. When the last remnant of the icy Beowulf faded, Weiss slowly opened her eyes only witness the swirling blizzard around her fading away to reveal a large ominous mansion. It was the Schnee Manor, or in her perspective – home. More specifically, she was lying on her back in a courtyard behind her home that rest upon the edge of a snowy mountain. Snow was softly falling upon the frosty cobblestone floor, but she didn't feel the cold at all. Wearily heaving herself into a kneeling position, Weiss clenched her fist in frustration. She knew the Beowulves were fake and didn't pose any real harm, but the sight of them so close had rattled her. It brought back all the fear and helplessness that she was trying to overcome. A feeling she tried to bury three months ago.

There was a clacking of heels on stone and Weiss lifted her head to see her sister, Winter, staring down upon her in her usual diginified posture. She held Myrtenaster in her hand, Weiss's weapon, which she had lost during her fight with the ice Beowulf - summons brought forth by Winter. Stabbing Myrtenaster into the ground near Weiss, Winter let out a long sigh and looked upon Weiss with stern, but worried reprove.

"I'm not always going to be around to save you, Weiss"

Weiss knew this. Fall was around the corner, meaning Winter was leaving for fourth and final year at Atlas Academy. Then, after that, she will be joining the military, giving her less time to be around her. Which is precisely why Weiss fervently asked Winter to train her during her last few moments home. She needed to train in order to be stronger. To be a huntress.

Weiss lowered her head, ashamed at her failure. "I'm sorry. I'll get better."

"You'll have to if you ever want to leave."

 _That's right._ Weiss thought to herself, reminded of her goal. _I need leave no matter what._

As she kneeled there, she noticed her reflection on one of the ice patches on the stone floor. What caught her attention was her hairclip that formed her ponytail. It was shaped like a tiara, crowning her head as if she was some sort of ice princess.

 _Ice princess..._

Reaching up and touching the little prongs jutting from her hair, Weiss remembered the day she received it.

 _I made a promise to her that day. That fateful day, three months ago..._


	2. Weiss

The bell chimed in the distance. To the students sitting in the spacious classroom, it marked the end of the school day. What once was a solemnly silent room soon became a cacophony of chairs screeching on wooden floors and notebooks sloppily stuffed into bags. In the midst of such chaos, a white blur flashed past the busying students, temporarily halting their progress to escape the classroom, wondering what just happened. The white streak was Weiss Schnee and unlike her fellow classmates, she had anticipated the moment the bell was about to ring. The moment it boomed, she bursted from her seat and raced out the exit before the bell sound faded away. This came as a shock to those in her class, since she normally maintained her studious pose - the sight of dignity - well after the bell rang and would remain until everyone else had already departed. But, today was different. Today was special and Weiss didn't have a second to spare.

Once she was in the hallway, still empty, she raced down the set of stairs that led from her second-floor classroom to the main hallway of Ironwood Academy. Rounding the corner of the stairwell, however, she noticed that students had begun to emerge from their respective classrooms and were flooding the hallway. A group of girls passed by and noticed Weiss. With gasps and glittering eyes, as if witnessing celebrity, they cheerfully waved at her. Halting her momentum at their gaze, Weiss straighten out her posture, put on princess-like smile, and returned the girls greeting with small, yet elegant wave. The girls giggled at Weiss's exchange and quickly continue their business, whispering among themselves about meeting the princess of the school.

Internally, Weiss lets out a sigh. This was one of the reasons why she always waited until everyone left school before leaving herself. The attention she garners and the mask that she must don just wears her down. But it isn't something she can ignore. She is Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, the largest supplier of Dust in the world. She was the face of the company and as such, must maintain the image of royalty whenever she is in public. Especially during school. So, as much as she wants to make a beeline for the exit, she couldn't.

Fully committed to her role, she continued the rest of the way down the stairs in her princess facade. While making her way to the school entrance, the students in her path unconsciously made way for her to pass. To them, it was as if an angel glowing with brilliance had descended upon them. Weiss, her path now clear, glided elegantly across the school hall, giving an angelic smile at those who made way for her. However, within her, Weiss was brimming with impatience.

 _Agh! The entrance is right there. If it wasn't for everyone here I would've been long gone from here._

After what seemed like an eternity, Weiss finally reached the exit. But as she stepped out into the open, a piercing cold gust assaulted her, momentarily breaking her disguise as her face contorted into a grimace at the sudden temperature change, but she quickly regained her posture. It was Spring, but because Atlas was so far north, the chilly air was as ubiquitous as the mountains environment surrounding the city. Yet, despite being such a common occurrence, it was always caught Weiss off-guard when leaving the heated corridors of school.

After acclimating to the cold weather, Weiss scanned the schoolyard and found what she was looking for hidden under the shade of trees off in a corner: a black limousine. Without a delay, she briskly headed towards it, trying her best to avoid any interaction with the students along the way. After losing precious time inside the school, she wasn't going to deal with any more delays to her plans.

"Klein, airport please," Weiss directed to the bald portly man sitting in the driver's seat as she hopped into the back.

The man named Klein jumped in his seat.

"Deary me Ms. Schnee, that startled me. I wasn't expecting you so soon. Is something the matter?"

Weiss fidgets restlessly. "Ugh, yes, something is the matter. We must go to the airport. Now."

"The airport?" Klein repeated, confused. "For what purpose do you need to go there?"

Getting a bit impatient, Weiss tapped her fingers against the leather seats vigorously.

"Do I need to spell it out for you. I want to go meet Jade."

As if a light switch turned on in his head, Klein's face suddenly lit up.

"Ah yes, Ms. Evergreen. I know you're excited to see her again, but I have already arranged a ride for her at the airport. Rest assured you will see her at the mansion later tonight."

Weiss wasn't satisfied with that answer.

"But I want to meet her at the airport. I want to be the first one to greet her when she gets off the plane. I haven't seen here in almost three years and there's so much we need to catch up on. So, please Klein, can we go to the airport?"

Weiss leaned forward and gave her best puppy eye expression. Klein, however, only looked more worried.

"But Miss Schnee, your father is expecting you home by 4 o'clock for vocal training."

Hearing her father mentioned sent a chill down Weiss's spine and completely dampened her mood. She looks down, crestfallen. Dealing with her father certainly scared her, but she was already committed.

"It's ... fine. I'll deal with father when the time comes," Weiss replied weakly, lacking any confidence in her statement. "He never checks anyways, so I should be fine as long as I'm not too late."

Weiss said this more to convince herself than Klein. Klein gave a nod, but remained silent.

"Alright, then. If you are so intent on going to meet Ms. Evergreen, then I have no right to refuse such request.

Weiss looked up, her enthusiasm restored.

"You're the best, Klein!" Weiss praised, while bouncing on her seat cheerfully. Klein turned to face forward and started up the car.

 _Focus, Weiss. Jade is finally coming back after 3 years. Everything will be fine as long as she is here._ Weiss thought as the car slowly picked up speed to the airport.


	3. Team JAYD

The Schnee International Airport started out as a small cargo airport meant to transport Dust across the continent back when the Schnee Dust Company was in its infancy. However, as the company grew and the relationship with other nations solidified, the cargo port started transporting people to accommodate for the rise of international travel. Its surprising success as an airport led the SDC to completely renovate the place and rebrand it as the Schnee International Airport. Of course, it is still used as the main method of transporting Dust outside of the continent.

And standing on the tarmac of this famous airport was the daughter of the current CEO of the SDC, Weiss Schnee. She was staring intently at the end of the long runway, where the Atlassian Wall loomed. The Wall surrounded the entire city of Atlas and was a defense mechanism against the dangerous Grimms that lurked in the mountains. It was fairly tall, about 20 meters high, but against the massive building of Atlas, was barely visible. Since the airport was located at the edge of the city, a large portion of this structure was laid bare. However, Weiss wasn't focusing on the wall. Rather, she was looking at a point just above it, where a blip in the sky coming from the South was quickly approaching. As it got bigger and bigger, so did Weiss's excitement as she realized it was an airship from Vale; THE airship she was waiting for.

The airship touchdown and slowly came to a stop a short distance away, kicking up flurry of wind that threw Weiss's long silky white hair into disarray. As she frantically tried to get her hair under control, she thought to herself, _I really need to do something about my hair_.

Of course, this wasn't the first time she had this thought, but having her hair thrown all over the place was the final nail in the coffin.

The airship finally settled, and the passengers began pouring out. A carrier of this size can take hundreds of passengers and Weiss tried her best to scan the faces of each one, hoping to spot the one familiar face amidst the sea of strangers. However, as the line began to thin, a sense of dread began to fill her.

 _What if I got the wrong plane? What if she missed her flight?_ These questions tormented Weiss as she nervously stroked her hair, still frazzled from the wind, when a soft voice came close to her ears.

"Looking for someone?"

Weiss jumped, letting out a shrill shriek at the sudden voice behind her. Turning around, she stared at a girl in a green Mistral-style dress, a few years older than her, with light green eyes and black-hair, with green tips, woven into a bun with a crystal-like hairpiece, shaped like a snowflake, holding it in place. Recognizing her, Weiss let out a gasp.

"JADE!" Weiss shouted, tackling her childhood friend with a hug.

"Ooof, it's good to see you too, Weiss," Jade gasped out at the sudden impact before reciprocating.

The two share a pleasant moment embracing each other, but then Weiss remember the atrocious deed Jade committed a few seconds ago. She pulled back and put her hands on her hips while giving Jade her best stern glare she could muster. She wanted to go for a look that resembled a teacher scolding a student, but her short stature and age difference made her appear more like a stubborn child after not getting what she wanted.

"Why did you scare me like that? I went out of my way to greet you here and you pull this prank on me. It's totally unacceptable!"

Jade let out a small chuckle. She bent over so she was at eye level with Weiss and patted Weiss's head. "Haha, I'm sorry. I saw you standing outside the plane during landing and I couldn't help but want to surprise you."

Weiss puffed her cheeks and pushed aside the hand on top of her head, blushing slightly. "Well, it was a mean thing to do. I must let you know that I am 15 years old already. As the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, I have a lot of responsibility on my shoulder so you better stop treating me like a child."

Jade put covered her mouth and her soft green eyes opened wide, feigning surprise. "Oh my, you're right. How did I not see that you have become such a responsible adult. Forgive my rudeness, princess."

Jade's little act exacerbated Weiss's already sour mood. "Hey that was sarcasm, wasn't it?"

Jade averted her eyes. "Hmmm, who knows?"

Weiss fumed at Jade's little jabs. She was always doing things like this when they were younger. It was irritating then and still irritating now. But, she wasn't mad at her. It was these kinds of interaction that made them close friends and she couldn't help but smile on the inside while reminiscing their interaction in the past.

 _It looks like she returned to her old self._

...

"Yoohoo, Jade. Give us a warning next time you up and ditch us like that, alright?"

A cheerful female voice hollered from the airship, interrupting Weiss and Jade's little reunion. They both turn towards the voice and watched as three figures, a girl and two boys, approach them. The girl, the one that called out to them, was waving her hand to get their attention. Jade waved back at them while shouting out an apology.

"Weiss, I would like to introduce you to Team JAYD. My team for the Vytal Festival and for school."

The Vytal Festival. It is a tournament for hunters and huntresses that is held every two years in one of the four kingdoms of Remnant. Each kingdom brings their best hunters-in-training and compete for the title of champion. As it happens, this year's tournament will be held in Atlas and it is one of the reason why Jade came back after 3 years. There was also a bit of luck involved, as Jade became a student huntress the year the tournament was held in Weiss's homeland.

Weiss surveyed the 3 individuals with a quick glance and couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. She was aware that as a hunter, one must be part of a four-person team, but from her first impression of the group, the super awesome badasses that she had envisioned completely fell apart. None of them looked particularly strong. Rather, they look like a group of misfits hurriedly bunched together.

Weiss's attention was first drawn to the girl that called out to them. However, it wasn't because of her greeting, but her...colorful appearance. She had light lavender hair with pink highlights that were tied in twintails, which were held by pink ribbons that matched the color of her eyes. She also wore some sort of white ceremonial robe, complete with a tailcoat that trails all the way to her ankles, long baggy sleeves, and an upturned collar. The robe was complimented by a deep violet etching, creating complicated patterns along the robe as if it was some arcane ritual.

Behind her, stood a tall handsome man wearing a blindly white suit. The suit consists of an unbuttoned white blazer with a light blue undershirt and white dress pants. Even his posture was befitting the fancy attire he wore, walking with an elegant gait that gives him the vibes of a businessman rather than a hunter. At a glance, one could pass off this person as a Schnee, but a telling difference was his short slicked sky-blue hair that matches with his eyes.

As for the final member of the team…he lacked any of the gaudy appearances of his companions. Rather, he was the complete opposite: his simple zip-up green hoodie and loose grayish brown jeans made him almost imperceptible within the crowd. Furthermore, he seemed to be slouched behind the other two, as if projecting a 'please don't notice me' vibe. But, upon a closer inspection, one feature that caught Weiss's attention was his green eyes and messy black hair with tinges of green at the tips - the very same as Jade's.

Before Weiss could ponder any further, the girl in the robe got right into her face, her pink eyes sparkling like a kid in a toy store.

"Oooooooh, is this that Weiss girl you keep telling us about?"

"Yes, she is. Weiss, I like you to meet…"

Before Jade could finish her introduction, the girl suddenly came in close to Weiss and pressed her hands on Weiss's cheeks.

"Ah, you are such an cutie, you. You have such an adorable little face. And your outfit is so cute. Your hair, too. Oooo, everything about you is just SO CUTE!"

Weiss was so stunned at this girl's invasion of her personal space that she couldn't even avoid this crazy girl's assault. It wasn't until the mystery girl loosen her grip before Weiss could push herself away from her. Keeping her distance, Weiss eyed the girl with caution.

"You're weird," Weiss vocalized her thoughts. "I don't like you."

As if a knife pierced her heart, the robed girl lurched back in an exaggerated manner before collapsing to the ground, her expression one of utter despair.

"Agh, to be hated by the epitome of cuteness! What cruel fate is this."

Jade couldn't help but chuckle a little at this comical skit. But, feeling that it had gone on long enough, she interjected herself between the two and continue with her introductions.

"Sorry about my friend's behavior. She just gets like that whenever she deems something as cute. As I was saying, her name is Amethyst, but she likes to be called Amy."

"That's right! Amy, lover of everything cute, at your service."

As if her previous mood completely vanished, Amy jumped up from her prone position and landed into some sort of pose. Her right hand shaped into a 'V' was placed next to her eyes and her right leg was raised up and bent at an angle. Weiss was unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but Amy's pose was so saccharine that the space around her seemed all sparkly and flowery.

"Ummm... hi... I guess." It was all Weiss could get out. She didn't know what else to say to someone with such a bubbly personality, but thankfully, she didn't need to. A low chuckle emitted behind Amy, disrupting the awkward atmosphere.

"Heh, a crude greeting as usual my dear Amethyst."

As if a mirror was shatter, Amy's bright cutesy aura contorted into one of venomous contempt. She turned around and glared at the culprit **.**

"Ooooooh, you judging how I greet others? If you have something to say, by all means show me a... proper greeting." she snidely remarked.

Stepping to the side, Amy sarcastically gave an exaggerated bow as if yielding to a king. The man in the white suit strode confidently forward, matching the atmosphere that Amy jokingly set for him. Now that he was up closer, Weiss noticed that he was a lot taller than she originally thought. His shadow completely consumed her entire body as if she was standing the presence of a giant. However, he seemed aware of the height difference and bent down to his knees, which brought him near her eye level. But he didn't stop there. He went as far as bowing down, as if a squire being knighted, and extended his hand out.

"The name is Daemon D. Prisma the Third, the future fourth head of the Prisma Gem Corporation, the largest supplier of gems in the world. We Prisma often pride ourselves for being to gems what the Schnee are to Dust, so it is an honor to finally meet the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company."

Weiss had been to enough high class social gatherings to understand what kind of greeting Daemon was going for, but seeing it done outside of such events, especially in an airfield where crowds of ordinary citizens gave odd looks trying to question why a large man is bowing down to a little girl, seemed oddly inappropriate to her.

"It's...a pleasure..." Weiss cautiously returned the greeting.

"No, the pleasure is all mine," Daemon said as he draws Weiss's hand closer to kiss. The sudden closeness frightened Weiss and she drew her hand back in shock. Daemon, baffled by the motion, is lost for words, his hand just before his lips.

"Sorry about Daemon. He's like this with everyone so don't mind him too much," Jade whispered to Weiss, a bit embarrassed at Daemon's gaudy greeting in a public space.

Meanwhile, Amy, who was smirking through the entire exchange, finally lost it and started laughing hysterically. "HAHAHA, oh man. I knew you were gonna do one of your crazy greetings, but that was just too good."

Daemon stood up and straighten his suit to hide his embarrassment. "Hmph, I merely greeted her as dictated by her status."

"Oh Daemon, this is why you're such a dense loser. You're creepy greetings just scares all the girls away."

This seemed to set something off in Daemon. He crossed his arms and muttered something under his breath. It was mostly inaudible, but it seemed to have gotten Amy really angry and the two began a competition of throwing insults at each other.

As the two bickered away, Weiss leaned in close to Jade.

"Your team is weird."

Weiss looked at Jade questioningly, as if seeking an answer for such unusual behavior. Jade, at her candid response, couldn't help but chuckle.

"Haha, I get that a lot."

However, her words didn't suggest that she embarrassed by their behavior at all. Rather, she looked upon them proudly.

"But, even if they have that kind of first impressions, they are actually really close friends who been together since they were both young. Not only that, but on the battlefield, they work surprisingly well together and I trust my them with my life."

 _No way._ Weiss watched as two continued to fight. At this point it seemed like Amy was making some crude jokes about Daemon, while he coldly rebukes her. _There is no way the two of them can be friends_.

A frustrated sigh disrupts the two. Completely unnoticed through the excitement caused by Amy and Daemon, the final member of Jade's team finally attracted attention to himself.

"What a complete waste of time."

Cold and detached, his voice cuts through the lively atmosphere like a knife. It seemed that through the entire exchange he was busily assorting his luggage as if he didn't even care about the introductions at all.

 _How rude._ Weiss thought.

However, Jade seemed anguished at the final member's words. "Yu..."

The last member, apparently named Yu, lugged his large duffel bag over his shoulder and looked briefly at Jade before turning his gaze towards Weiss. When their eyes met, Weiss couldn't help but shudder a bit. From an outside perspective, he has some very lazy eyes, but when they were trained on Weiss, she felt as if it was piercing through her very soul.

Yu sighed again. "You do what you want, but I don't have time to sit around and chat. I'll be heading to the dorms first. Don't be out too late."

Without even waiting for a reply, he began walking away.

"Always the edgelord, that one."

"Indeed, for once I am in agreement."

Amy and Daemon, now seemingly on good terms, remarked.

Jade only looked gloomily as Yu walked away.

"Sorry about my brother's behavior."

"HE'S YOUR BROTHER!?"

Jade was shocked. "What? I thought you knew. You met my twin brother before."

Racking her brain, Weiss tried to figure out when they met. Digging through all her memories with Jade, she finally came across an instance where they might have came across one another.

"That's right, he was with you when we first met at the talent competition!" Weiss exclaimed loudly. "But he wasn't so sullen and scary looking back then, what happened to him?"

Weiss realized too late that she touched a dangerous subject, for Jade suddenly grew melancholic.

"He's been like that since..." Jade bit her words cutting her sentence short. She forced smile, trying to hide her pain. "He's just a little too focus on the festival."

Weiss was fairly certain what Jade was going to say before she cut herself off. It was likely related to her reason for leaving so suddenly three years ago, but Weiss respected Jade choices, and didn't pry into it. If she wished to share, she should at her own pace.

"I see," Weiss awkwardly replied, trying to assuage the sudden dark mood.

Sensing that their presence was unnecessary, Amy and Daemon also began picking up their luggage.

"Well, I guess we will be heading over, too. You know, to make sure grouchy face doesn't get lost along the way. I know you wanted some time with your friend and we don't want to use up more of your precious time." Amy said.

Daemon nodded. "Agreed. Do not worry yourself in our matters. We are adept in finding our way to the school. I hope you have a great time Team Leader. You deserved it."

Jade mouthed her thanks and the two walked off towards Yu. After watching her team leave the airport, Jade turned back to Weiss and gave her a gentle smile, her previous melancholy now completely gone.

"Well, shall we head off too?"

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 **With this chapter, I would say it is around 2/5 of what I have planned with the story. I don't know when I will be able to finish the next chapter, but hopefully I will get it done by next Monday or Tuesday. From there on, I'll try my best to release a chapter weekly. Again, please help me point out any mistakes. Thanks for reading.**


	4. A Hunter's Purpose

**Author's Edit: Due to a busy Thanksgiving week, I wasn't able to write much of the next chapter. Sorry about that. However, I hope to get it done by the end of this week and post it on Tuesday. Other than that, I made some minor edits in this chapter that I felt was needed.**

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"So, your team name is JAYD, huh?" Weiss interrogated Jade, leaning close to her.

After their brief albeit somewhat disastrous reunion in front of the airfield, Weiss guided Jade through the colorful airport, taking deliberate detours through the colorful shops to distract her from whatever she was dealing with. Then, as soon as they hopped in to the limo parked outside, Weiss began bombarding Jade with questions.

"Yeah, I guess so," Jade answered hesitantly, a bit startled at Weiss's sudden approach.

"I heard that teams were given names based on the first letter of each members name beginning with the team leader. If that is the case, it's quite serendipitous for your team to happen to sound like your own name, right? Like some greater force just willed it to happen."

"You really think so?"

"Of course!"

Weiss bounce up and down in her seat causing the car to shake slightly, much to Klein's concern.

"And you're the leader, too. That's so amazing, Jade. To be an amazing dancer and worthy of being the leader of a hunter team, there's nothing you can't do!"

Jade scratched the back of her head in embarrassment at Weiss's jubilant flattery.

"You give me too much credit. I may have been chosen as the leader, but every member of my team is much stronger. Honestly, it came as a shock when I was chosen to lead. I'm not as talented as my brother Yu, nor do I have the outgoing-ness and charm of Daemon and Amy. I don't know what the headmaster saw in me, but my teammates clearly are better suited leading."

"Don't sell yourself short. Whoever the headmaster is, I'm sure he chose you because you are an exceptional huntress."

"Look at you," Jade remarked merrily and booped Weiss on the nose, much to her chagrin. "Trying to cheer me up. You sure have grown."

Jade finally relaxed and sank into the soft leather seats.

"You know, on the flight here, I didn't know how you would react to me becoming a huntress. I know you wanted to see me become a famous dancer, so I thought you wouldn't accept my decision to switch. But I guess I was worried for nothing."

"Are you kidding me? I will always support you, no matter what you want to be. Sure, hearing that you suddenly became a huntress was shocking, but I have nothing bad on hunters and huntresses. Winter is a huntress and I still look up to her. Besides, now my two favorite people in the world are both huntresses, I can finally watch you guys duke it out in the Vytal Festival."

However, a sudden revelation dawned upon her.

"Oh wait, but that means only one of you can win." Weiss clutched her head in worry. "Ah, I told Winter that I want to see her become the champion this year, but I also want you to win, too. What to do?"

Jade rubs Weiss's head, calming her. "Don't worry about it too much. While I'm glad that you want me to win, I think Winter deserves the title of champion more than I do. You see, I'm not after first place. Truth be told, I don't think I have what it takes to get there as I am now even though I know that my team is trying their hardest to reach that point. But, I think what's more important for us is knowing how much further we need to go. If we win, that's a testament of our effort, but if we were to lose, I want us to learn from it and get better. "

After listening to Jade's little speech, Weiss couldn't help but embrace Jade in a tight hug, completely forgetting about the head rub that she just received.

"Jade, don't be like that. I'm sure you will do great."

"Haha, thank you for your vote of confidence," Jade replied cheerfully.

"Ah speaking of the Vytal Festival, there is something I want to show you once we return."

Curious as to what that may be, Jade tried to pry some information from Weiss, but she remained adamant. After a while, Jade relented and returned to their conversation about the Vytal Festival. At this point the limo had left the bounds of urban civilization and continued on an empty mountain road. After another 10 minutes, the car finally rolled to a stop in front of the Schnee Manor.

When Jade stepped out of the car, she was greeted by a beautiful garden of white roses on either side of the road which led up to a humongous manor that completely covered her view. The manor had a stone staircase that leads to a pair of heavy oak doors. Around the door was a detailed marble arch, giving the entrance an imposing feeling. As for the manor itself, it appeared to be three stories tall and stretching far on both sides. It was built using white stone with areas punctuated by light blue paint. Standing before this grandiose home, Jade couldn't help but stare in awe, even if she had been here quiet often in the past. The sense of scale is just too much for to get used to. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Weiss nonchalantly approached the large doors. Having resided in grandeur for 15 years had numbed her to its appeal. As she reached out to the door handles, she turns to beckon Jade.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" Weiss shouted out impatiently as she heaved the door open...

...Only to reveal her father on the other side.

Weiss gasp in surprise and took a few steps back. In her excitement, she completely forgotten the risk she took to go meet Jade. Meanwhile, her father, Jacque, stood perfectly still behind the door frame, training his cold blank eyes at her. Weiss couldn't handle her father's look and instinctively looked down in shame.

"Weiss..." Jacque started, his voice deceptively calm. However, that one word sent a chill down Weiss's spine. Her father scolded her countless time in the same manner so she knew what was coming. "...do you know what time it is?"

Slowly pulling out the scroll in her skirt pocket, she meekly read out the time displayed. "It's almost 5, Father."

"And what time did I _specifically_ tell you to return by?"

Weiss flinched at her father emphasis on "specifically". She can hear his voice rise in anger after each word.

"Four," Weiss muttered.

"That's right. If it wasn't for your brother, I wouldn't have realized you missed an entire hour of vocal practice."

Weiss remained silent, staring apologetically at the marble floor beneath her. However, she was seething internally at the mention of her younger brother. _Damn it, Whitley. Always tattling on me._

"Do you know how busy I am running my company? I don't have time to deal with whatever tomfoolery you have been up to."

"But..."

"But nothing. You are the heiress of my company and I expect you to act like one," Jacque sharply retorted. "Your sister made the mistake of running off to that damn hunter school. I hope you don't do anything as foolish as her"

Weiss couldn't help but clench her fist. She always looked up to her sister, just as much as she looked up to Jade, and hearing her father attack at her like that made her angry. But at the same time, she was angry at herself. Angry at how helpless she was before her father - too afraid to make a retort. These conflicting feeling swell within her, building up with no means of escape and nearly drove her to tears. But suddenly, Jade emerged from behind, almost as if appearing from nowhere, and placed her hand on Weiss's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, sir. I was the who caused your daughter to be late."

Jacque shifted his focus to Jade, frozen in shock for a brief moment before awkwardly shifting to a more cordial mood.

"Ah, ehem, Ms. Evergreen. It has been a while. I wasn't aware that you were stopping by. I was under the assumption you were busy with the Vytal Festival"

"And for that I apologize. You see, the reason your daughter was late because I asked her to bring me by the manor again when I landed."

"Is that so?" Jacque peered at Weiss interrogatively. Weiss could only nod.

"Yes," Jade continue. "It was rather sudden so it may have been difficult for her to inform you of the situation."

Still unsatisfied with the answer, but reluctant to pursue the issue further in front of a guest, Jacque relented. But, Jade didn't stop there.

"Oh, just to let you know, I was planning on having Weiss show me around the city tomorrow. It's been a while and I want to...reacquaint myself with the beauty of Atlas. Is that alright with you, sir?"

Maintaining his cordial visage, Jacque agreed. With the conversation over, Jacque excused himself and quickly strolled up the large stairway, going down the right hallway to his office. When his father finally disappeared from view, Weiss apologizes to Jade.

"I'm sorry you had to witness all that."

Jade gave her signature gentle smile. "It's fine. I'm sure he is just worried about you that's all."

Weiss didn't believe that, but still nodded. With her father gone, Weiss returned to her normal mood. She grabbed Jade's hand and guided her to her room. They followed Weiss's father up the stairs, but instead of turning right, they went left. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the empty, sonorous hall as they briskly passed by countless of large wooden doors and only stopped once they reached the final door at the end. Jade recognized this to be Weiss's room. Unlike all the other doors, this one was adorned, almost unperceivably, by a single snowflake adhered to the wood. Furthermore, the doorknob showed signs of wear, having its brass sheen faded from overuse. Without a moment pause, Weiss pushed open the door to reveal the content inside.

The room was lavished, as expected. A large paned window, reaching from ground to ceiling, was at the far end of the room. On either side, there was a large bookshelf stuffed full of books. There were a various of furniture scattered around, but they were massively overshadowed by the large extravagant bed with a high canopy and gossamer curtains so delicate that they might fall apart upon touch. The room itself was well-lit. The light coming through the window seem to bounce off the shiny ice-like floor, dying everything in frosty blue radiance. However, while the room was undeniably beautiful, it didn't feel very welcoming. The room was simply too spacious. The chairs and cushions that dotted the room simply wasn't enough to hide the emptiness between them. Also, perhaps due to the light, everything seemed to pristine, as if enshrined in ice. The room was more akin to a museum display than a room than a room where a young girl lives.

Weis strode over to another door on the left side near her bed. Opening it revealed another room, much smaller than her room, but much too large for the purpose that it serves: a closet. Surveying the room, Weiss called out to Jade. "Make yourself comfortable. It'll take me a bit to find the surprise. I had to hide it well so that Whitley doesn't 'accidently' catch sight of it."

With that, Weiss disappeared into the closet. Jade, left all alone now, wandered through Weiss's room reminiscing the times she been here in the past. The furniture was arranged differently, but it still looked the same as it did three years ago. Jade stopped in front of Weiss's desk next to the window. She briefly examined the contents on her tidy desk, when her eyes caught a black folder sloppily tucked under a pile of books. Curious, Jade extricated from its hiding place and opened it up. There was nothing in it other than a single sheet of music paper with a few measures scribbled in. Beneath that, there were a few words written to match the short musical phrase.

" _Mirror, tell me something. Tell me who's the..."_

The line ends there. A few words word written after, but were all crossed out.

Before Jade could examine this further, the closet door burst opened. She quickly placed the folder down and turned to see Weiss carrying an oblong silver case. Ignorant of what Jade was doing, Weiss placed the case on her bed and beckoned Jade over.

"What is that?" Jade questioned, as she walked over beside Weiss.

With a sly smile, Weiss unbuckled the case and slowly opened it.

Inside was a white rapier just over a meter long. But it wasn't any ordinary rapier. Under the weapon's hilt, there was an elaborate cylindrical contraption similar to a revolver chamber. What's more, along the cylinder there are different partitions each pulsing in a different color. Upon closer inspection, Jade realized that the colors were Dust crystals.

"This...this is a hunter's weapon," Jade gasped.

Weiss nodded excitedly. She picked up the rapier from its case and skillfully flourished it before Jade. The blade screeched excitedly through the air, its tip drawing patterns in response to Weiss's movement.

"Yup. It's called Myrtenaster. Winter gave it to me as a present."

"But why would she gift you a hunter's weapon?"

Weiss gave a sly chuckle.

"Because... I decided to become a huntress. Surprise!"

Weiss threw her hands out wide, expectantly waiting for Jade's reaction. However, contrary to her prediction, Jade did not seem overjoyed. Rather, she gave a very concerned look.

"A huntress? I thought you were going to be a singer?"

Weiss shoulder slumped, crestfallen at Jade's serious expression. "Well, I thought I was going to be a singer before. Just like how I thought you were going to become a famous dancer. But, how should I put it, it wasn't something I chose to become. I just happened to be good a singing and when people noticed, everything seemed to revolve around it. I thought perhaps it was something I was meant to do and stuck to it, but as time passed, I just wasn't motivated enough to continue. It was then that I wanted a future that I chose myself and not follow the path set out before me."

Weiss clench Myrtenaster tightly, recalling all the grueling days practicing her singing.

" I want to be strong, I want to be independent. That's when I heard Winter left home to become a huntress and you a year later, so I thought I can try out this huntress thing. I hear great things about the things Winter and you have done as a huntress, so maybe I do this I can be as strong as you guys, too. I told Winter about my decision and she wholeheartedly supported me." Weiss raise Myrtenaster into the air, making it sparkle in the light. "She made this for me, hoping that I will one day use it in combat school."

Jade didn't respond, only stared at the silver rapier lost in thought. Weiss, unable to bear the silence, asked, "Is something the matter?"

Instead of answering her question, Jade softly quoted something she heard before. "A hunter's strength lies in her conviction."

Weiss tilted her head in confusion, but Jade continued.

"Weiss, what do you think hunters are?"

Weiss pondered for a moment. "A hunter's duty is to be the light in the darkness, to protect the citizen, and to defeat the forces of Grimm."

"And is that why you think I became one?"

"Well, yeah. It's such a noble cause. Why wouldn't it be?"

To this, Jade only sighed. She sat down on the bed and beckoned Weiss to do so as well. Once they were both settled Jade began speaking.

"Yes, what you said are the duties of a hunter," Jade replied. "But that's all they are: duties. Hunter's have one of the most dangerous jobs ever. Even in training, students often face life and death situations. If you don't have purpose, a goal, that can push you past these situations, you won't last long. Simply wanting to be strong isn't enough. My teammate Daemon... he has his legacy to protect. He became a hunter train himself to be a strong confidant leader who can guide his families company in the future and protect it from any threats. Amy's reason is much simpler. She is the daughter of doctors who travel the world and help victims of disasters and Grimm attacks. She could never forget the suffering of those victims or the hardship her parents faced trying to help them. That's why wanted to be a huntress to prevent such tragedies from occurring. You see, they have a strong driving force that's pushing them forward. As for Yu and me, we…"

Jade stopped herself, clenching her fist tightly until the whites of her knuckles showed. She displayed the same look of anguish as that moment at the airport, but quickly calmed herself by letting out a large breath. Looking blankly at the wall, Jade began recollecting the painful memories that she had kept to herself.

"Yu and I became hunters for different reasons, but it all began three years ago. The reason I returned to Mistral back then was because…my parents died. Specifically, they were murdered during a Grimm attack."

Weiss let out a gasp. She knew something bad must've happened for Jade to leave back then, but it never occurred to her that it would be this bad. She tried to find words to comfort Jade, but the Mistral girl stopped her.

"I have moved on now. But my brother, he couldn't let it go. From what I've heard, they died trying to ensure Yu could escape. It seemed that being so helpless while Mom and Dad sacrificed changed him. He was already training to become a hunter at the time, but after our parents' death, he trained even harder with unnatural fervor, bordering on obsession. His reason was...hatred. Hatred for the Grimm. Hatred for not being able to do anything."

At this point, Jade stopped to collect herself. Recalling her brother's suffering opened some old wounds. But she endured it and continued.

"However, his training did pay off. His skill was recognized by Beacon Academy and they offered him a scholarship. He accepted it without hesitation, but I didn't want him to leave. I was scared. He was going down a dangerous path and if he left, I felt that he will end up somewhere I wouldn't be able to reach. No matter what I did, I couldn't convince him otherwise. So, I did the only thing I could do: I decided to apply to Beacon. My reason isn't as noble as fighting Grimm or protecting citizens. I just wanted to be by Yu's side, to protect him and to stop him from making decisions he may regret. And if it means I must do the duties of a huntress, then so be it."

Jade finally turned to face Weiss.

"You said you want to be strong like me, but I am not strong. I was never trained in a combat school nor had I thought of becoming a huntress till that point, I simply can't compete with others who trained their whole life. But, one day, I had a chance encounter with the headmaster of Beacon and he told me this: 'Strength doesn't stem from your combat prowess. It come from your conviction. Beacon doesn't just train hunters, it trains people. People who have a purpose they wish to fulfill. Even a tortoise can outpace a hare simply because it has something to prove.'"

Jade stood up, the falling sun casting a red glare on her green silhouette. She looked down on Weiss with worry. "And so I ask you, Weiss. For the strength you seek, what purpose will it be for? What goal drives you to put everything on the line for?"

"I…" Weiss stared but didn't finish. She could say she's fighting to protect others or to fight Grimm, but it didn't feel personal. It was just something expected from hunters and huntress, not something born from her own desire. Unable to find an answer, she bowed her head and whispered, "I don't know."

Jade knelt down, caressing Weiss's cheeks and bringing her head up. Weiss's misty light blue eyes met Jade's arbor green eyes.

"I'm not trying to discourage you from becoming a huntress. If you truly believe becoming a huntress is the direction you wish to go, I won't stop you. It's just I know many who start their career without thinking about what they actually want. And some of them found a purpose to work towards along the way. But many don't. Those who become discouraged by the pain and hardship quit halfway through. I just don't want to see that happen to you."

As Jade finish speaking, the sun finally dipped behind the icy mountain peaks. The warm red light that permeated the room disappeared, leaving the room briefly in cold, hollow darkness before the chandeliers above brought light again. It was getting late, so Jade back up and head towards the exit. Before leaving, Jade faced Weiss with one last thing to say.

"I'm sorry that I made everything so depressing on the first day we are together. Just, think about it a bit more alright? I will see you tomorrow."

Weiss could only nod solemnly as her bedroom door shut.


	5. The Calm Before the Storm

It was late morning the day after. Weiss stood glumly outside a large shopping mall. Countless of pedestrians pass by, making it difficult to spot a specific person from the crowd.

This was Atlas Central. The largest and most popular shopping destination in Atlas, a title achieved partly due to its relative closeness to the Stadium, the place where the Vytal Festival (and other competitive events) is held. However, Weiss wasn't melancholy over standing by her lonesome amidst the crowd of couples and parties. She couldn't care less about them. It was her conversation with Jade from the previous day that was affecting her. From the painful memory she shared to the advice she gave her, it was a lot to process. Weiss had tried to search for an answer after Jade left, but to no avail, leaving her in this state.

A flick on her forehead, brought her out of her stupor. It was Jade.

"What's with the long face?" she asked in a cheery tone, and none of the seriousness from the day before.

"Nothing." It was the only thing Weiss could get out.

However, Jade can imagine what Weiss was thinking about from her expression.

"Look, I know I said a lot yesterday," Jade started. "But it's not something that you can find an answer for overnight. So let's not worry about that for right now. Today, we are supposed to have fun!"

Jade grabbed Weiss's hand and began dragging her towards the large shopping center. Ironically, Jade had stated she wanted Weiss to guide her around town, but ended up the one doing the guiding. Weiss chuckled to herself at this little role reversal and decided to forget about their previous heavy conversation for a while. Jade was right. Today was a day of festivity.

The two girls flitted through the thick sea of people and entered the large mall. Well, it was more like a large plaza than a mall. Past the large gateway, they had entered a large open space with three lanes emerging from it, each lined with countless of shops – and even more people. The three streets seemed to go on forever, with the only telling sign of its end being the Atlassian wall barely visible in the distance. With the Vytal Festival just around the corner, the plaza was absolutely packed with tourist. It was so full that Jade had to hold on to Weiss firmly, else she will be completely absorbed by the mass.

"Soooo…what now?" Weiss asked. "Do you have any particular place you want to go?"

"Nope," Jade stated confidently. "But there is something that I must do."

She pointed at Weiss dramatically. "And that's to get you a present to celebrate our reunion!"

"Oh no no no no no," Weiss said while furiously shaking her head. "You don't have to do something like. Besides, if anyone should be giving presents, it should be me."

Jade smirked slyly. "Seeing you again is a good enough present for me."

However, Weiss couldn't accept that answer.

"Well, I could say the same to you," she fumed.

"True. But, I said I will get you something and that's final."

Weiss could only sigh at Jade's stubbornness. She knew that Jade wouldn't let up until she agreed. So, in the interest of saving time, Weiss relented.

With a shout of joy at her little victory, Jade began to drag Weiss down one of the lanes. They just wander aimlessly and inspect whatever goods catch their interest that were displayed in front of the stores. And there were a lot of eye-catching wares. Every shop was offering Vytal Festival deals and they took no expense putting the most glamorous goods out front to attract customers.

But Jade didn't even bat an eye. Each got the same treatment. She made a remark about the product, checked the price, then moved on. Rinse and repeat. This went on for a little bit, bringing them close to the end of the shopping district. However, as the two were working their way back towards the center area, Jade suddenly stops in front of a certain jewelry store. At first, Weiss thought she was going to do her same routine, but when she beckoned Weiss to look as well, she realized this was different.

"Look," Jade said, point her finger at the glass window. Weiss traced the direction of her finger and found it to be pointing at an ornate hairpin.

It wasn't any ordinary hairpin, though. This one was shaped like a tiara embroidered with sparkling white gems that seemed to twinkle in its lighted display case. The crown was only slightly curved, not enough to settle securely on someone's head. But that wasn't the intended design, as two long rods protrude from each end like chopsticks, which serve as anchors in hair.

"That looks really pretty," Jade remarked in wonder.

"I guess so," Weiss commented off-handedly. She was so used to seeing bedazzled jewelry that this particular one seemed drab in comparison.

"I think it'll look great on you."

Weiss nearly choked on her own spit at Jade's sudden flattery.

"You think so?" Weiss wondered sheepishly, her cheeks dyed slightly red in embarrassment.

Jade nodded.

"Of course. You already have this regal aura already. With this, you'll be like…like an ice princess."

"Umm…thank you?" Weiss wasn't sure to take that as a compliment or a joke.

"Oh sorry," Jade quickly corrected herself. "I meant that it suits you well."

Weiss chuckled at Jade's moment of distress. But there was some merit in what she was saying.

Weiss inspects the hairpin again. She wasn't focus on the tiara, but the pin itself.

"You know," Weiss pondered while stroking her long white hair. "I was meaning to buy something to tie up my hair. It's getting a bit long and I want to try putting it in a ponytail."

At Weiss's words, Jade's face lit up.

"Ah, that's perfect! Let me buy it for you as our reunion present."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure that will be really…" Weiss tried to warn Jade, but it was already too late. Jade spun around to check the price. Upon finding it, the giddy Jade suddenly lost all her fervor. "…expensive."

Right below the fancy hairpin, there was a sign that said "50% OFF!" followed by a price tag of 50,000 Lien.

"…there's no way I can buy that with a student's allowance," Jade muttered to herself quietly.

"Don't worry," Weiss comforted, "You don't have to pay for it. I can cover for you easily."

"NO!" Jade shouted defiantly, startling Weiss. "I said I will buy you a present. If you pay for it, then that defeats the purpose."

Jade gave the hairpin one final look. "I'm going to scour this entire district until I find a hairpin as good as this one. But you know, cheaper."

Weiss knew that would be an impossible task.

"It's fine, really. You don't need to go out of your way to find a fancy hairpin." Weiss tried to help. That's when she noticed the hairpin keeping Jade's hair in a bun. "In fact, I think the one you have is really nice. Something like that is totally fine with me."

"What? This thing?" At the mention of her hairpin, Jade reached behind her head and pulled the pin loose, causing her hair to fall over her shoulders. The hairpin wasn't particularly noticeable, especially compared with the crown behind the store window, but it was intricate. The hair pin consist of two identical pieces. They looked like medal rods with several icicle-like tendrils forming a semi-circle around one side. The tendrils had two different length, with three long ones divided by two short ones between each. Separated, they look unremarkable, but when Jade put them together, it formed into a snowflake.

Weiss nodded her head furiously. "Yeah, I don't want something that stands out so much anyways. I'm pretty sure we can find something like that at a normal accessory store. Come on, I know one nearby."

Weiss started to move away from the fancy jewelry store, but stopped once she realize Jade wasn't following. Instead, she was inspecting her hairclip, still in her hand.

"If I remembered correctly, I got this somewhere around here," Jade recalled. "A little before I left Atlas…"

"Then that's perfect. I'm sure we can buy one just like that from there."

"Oh, I didn't buy it," Jade corrected. "The store owner crafted it for me."

"Well, can we at least go check it out."

Returning her hair back to how it was, Jade nodded.

"Sure."

Jade began moving and Weiss followed. They returned to the main plaza area and went down the far-left lane this time. Unlike the other areas, this place was a lot less crowded, but still teeming with tourist. That's because this area was mainly used by street vendors and craft shops.

However, Jade didn't guide Weiss to one of the shops. Instead, she stopped by an alleyway leading behind the stores.

"It's…back there?" Weiss questioned.

Jade only nodded. "I'm not exactly sure where, but I do remember its somewhere down this alley."

Jade took a step forward, but stopped as a thought occurred to her.

"Actually, do you mind if you stay here while I try to find the store," she asked Weiss.

"Why?"

Jade only gave a wink. "It's a secret."

With that, Jade bounded into the dark alley, leaving a baffled Weiss in her wake.

Weiss stamped her foot in indignation, a bit mad that Jade left her in the dark. She stormed over to the nearest bench and sat there waiting for Jade to return.

Several minutes passed, but there was no sign of Jade. Growing impatient, Weiss got up and decided to check out some of the stall nearby. Most of them were selling delectable snacks and with nothing better to do, she decided to buy a few of them here and there. She got so immersed in her little taste testing adventure that before she knew it, she had walked a bit far from the alley.

In a panic, swiveled around to return, but ran straight into two hooded figure, causing one of them to stumble.

"Watch where you're going," the one Weiss bumped into snarled.

"Sorry, I didn't…" Weiss tried to apologize, but froze.

When she bumped into the man, his hooded cloak had fluttered aside and she caught a glimpse of something tucked in the back of his clothes.

Realizing that his cloak was loose, he hurriedly covered himself up. His partner, a large, stocky fellow, stepped in front of him to cover him and bowed as if to apologize to Weiss. When the fallen man collected themselves, they hurriedly went about their business. However, Weiss saw enough to realize what was hidden. That man had a tail. Which meant he was a Faunus. And Faunuses generally aren't allow to roam freely in public spaces. But that wasn't all. While it was hard to make out, she was sure she saw a Beowulf mask, too. And the only people who would carry those kinds of mask are members of the White Fang.

Weiss's sense of justice flared up and decided to trail them, to see where they were going. Thankfully, the crowd was light enough to make them out clearly, but not too sparse to be obvious. The two Faunus seemed to be heading towards the center area, but just before they reached it, they swerved into an alley, not the same as the one Jade went down but close to it.

Taking a deep breathe to muster her bravery, she ran to the alley to confront the pair before they get too far in.

Turning the corner, she found the pair, their hoods down, just finishing a conversation on a scroll. Puffing her chest out she yelled.

"Hey, you miscreants. What were you doing in Atlas Central? Faunuses aren't allowed here unless you have a permit badge on you. And you two don't have one."

The two figures turned their heads towards Weiss at her sudden outburst. Now that she got a good look at their face, she could tell that the one she ran into was a fox and his large partner was a bull. They then whispered something to each and the fox waved his hand as if shooing her off.

"You don't know what you're talking about, little girl. Go back to your mommy and daddy."

With that, they turned and started heading deeper into the alley.

Weiss, however, would not let it go. Not only did the two Faunus were in direct violation of the law, they completely dismissed her as nothing but a child.

"I know exactly what I am talking about," Weiss angrily refuted. "You guys are memebers of the White Fang, right? Article 8 Section 5 of the Public Safety Law states that Faunus are prohibited from public venues and events unless they wear a government issued permit badge that is visible on their body. This law was enacted as a countermeasure for the recent aggression of the White Fang, for your criminal deeds. My father, Jacque Schnee, was the one to put this measure through!"

At the mention of her father, the two Faunus stopped in their tracks. The fox Faunus slowly turned.

"Did you just say you are a Schnee?"

Misjudging the man's tone as fear, Weiss replied confidently responded. "Indeed I am."

The man started to quiver, and then let out a long chuckle. His chuckle grew louder and louder, and soon he began laughing maniacally.

"HAHAHA. Me? Meet a Schnee? This must be fate! Boy, will I have a story to tell Adam once we return," the Faunus cackled.

A bit annoyed his lack of concern for being caught breaking the law, Weiss took out her scroll.

"Just give up already. You already lost. I just contacted the police of my position and they will be here any minute. Just surrender quietly and you will only be detained for violating Safetly Laws."

The man stopped laughing and took a step menacingly towards Weiss. "What if I don't wanna?"

Despite being assured of her victory, Weiss unconsciously took a step back. "If you do something to me now, you will assuredly never see the light of day anymore. And you can't escape with all the witness around either. Face it, no matter what, you will face justice."

"Justice?" the fox hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes flared with pure malice. His partner put a hand on his shoulder, telling him to stop, but shrugged it off. "What do you know about justice?"

Unsure at how to answer, Weiss only looked at him blankly.

"Do you think we are doing things simply because we are evil? That we want to see the world burn? No, we are doing this because of YOU."

His sudden loud voice broke Weiss's brave façade. Cold sweat covered her face and her legs began to shake.

"What do you think created this luxuriously life of yours? Hard work and perseverance?" He spat on the ground. "Hah, don't make me laugh. It is built by the exploitation and sacrifice of others. Namely, the Faunus."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Weiss blurted out, surprising herself. She momentarily forgot about the situation she was in when the Faunus badmouth her family. "Yes, wages may be a bit low, but it is still within the standards of living. We treat Faunus dust miners exactly how we treat other…"

"SHUT UP! Is that what your father tells you? Do you even know what's it like in the mines?"

The fox took another step forward, and Weiss took another back. However, her legs were shaking so badly she fell on her bottom. The bull faunus again tried to tell him something, but he shook it off violently.

"It's dark and musty. Every step is dangerous and could be your last. Sickness and injuries were a common sight, but you people didn't even bat an eye. My family worked in that environment for years, believing that their efforts will be reward. But when they suffered a critical injury, they were tossed out and left for dead! Is that the justice you are referring to, huh!?"

The fox continue taking steps forward and Weiss desperately tried to crawl back. She wanted to escape to the street, which wasn't far at all, but in her position it felt like it was a mile away.

The fox was now on top of Weiss. He looked down upon her with a deadly glare and all she can do was cower.

He continued to talk. Not in the explosive tone as before, but a subdue venomous one.

"You are nothing but a spoiled princess who sits on grand throne, having everything handed to you on a silver platter and arbitrarily decide what is justice."

Claws shot out from his fingers.

"I'm glad I met you today. I joined the White Fang to have my revenge on the Schnee's and fate has brought you to me. But don't worry, I won't kill you. I will just leave a mark on your pretty little face to remember me by."

He lifted his hand into the air, preparing to strike. But, before his hand fell, he was violently thrown back. It seemed the bull Faunus had pulled on the fox's hood.

"Kitsu," the bull Faunus whispered angrily. "You've wasted too much time with her. If we stay any longer we will…"

Before he could finish talking, there was a loud explosion in the distance.

The bull pulled on the fox's hood again, giving him a "this is all your fault" look.

The fox Faunus swore under his breath and turn to leave. "You're lucky this time. But rest assured, next time we meet, I will have my revenge."

Finished talking, the two quickly fled.

Weiss, still on the ground, had to wait a moment before she could muster the strength to get on her feet. She was still a bit caught up with her encounter with the White Fang, but there were other concerns at the moment. The explosion just now. Clearly the two Faunus had something to do with it, but what was the target?

Remembering what she was doing before, Weiss let out a gasp. "Jade!"

She ran back into the commercial street only to witness chaos. Concerned citizens had stopped in their tracks, staring at a plume of smoke in the distance, while police officers, most likely the ones that Weiss called, were trying to get the people to stay back. Yet, Jade was nowhere to be seen.

Weiss fidgeted, unsure what to do, when suddenly a scream coming from the direction of the smoke. Whoever it was screamed one word. But it was a word that sent a chill down everyone present.

"GRIMM!"

* * *

 **A/N: Whew. Well I'm finally approaching the end of this story.** **Originally wanted to put this and the next chapter together, but it got quite long and I didn't finish writing everything so I decided to split it into two. The decision was a bit last minute so the first half of this chapter feels a bit fast since I wanted to get to the action. May or may not add more detail later on but I'm definitely flesh out the next chapter a bit more. See you next week (hopefully).**


	6. The Yeti (Part 1)

"Jade!" Weiss called out frantically. "Jade! Where are you!?"

The streets were in chaos. After hearing that Grimms had invaded the city, everyone was scrambling to flee from the smoke in the distance. From what she can make out from the screams, it seemed that the explosion originated from the Atlassian wall, creating a cavity that allowed the Grimm to pass into the city. However, while others were fleeing, Weiss was desperately fighting against the flow, trying to reach the alleyway where she and Jade separated. To Weiss, the Grimm invading is distressing, but not as distressing as being completely clueless to Jade's whereabout.

Keeping to the shop walls, Weiss slowly managed to reach the alleyway, but upon going further in, she realized that it was folly to come here.

The alleyway was a like a labyrinth. The buildings back here were unevenly spaced, making the path crooked and hard to tell where it leads. There were also multiple dark narrow paths that branched out from the main one, each with its own shrouded destination. Furthermore, the alleyway dampened the sound coming from the main area. What was a loud cacophony of footsteps and yelling, was reduced to a muffle, as if a glass wall partitioned the area.

And Weiss stood at the maw of this maze, hesitant to proceed any further lest she get lost.

"Jade…" she called out meekly, her voice amplified by the narrow space. "Are you there?"

Weiss slowly inched her way deeper down the alley, making sure that the exit remained visible behind her. But suddenly, a snarl from one of the dark path caused Weiss to jump.

She turned towards the sound and saw pair of blazing red orbs staring out from the darkness. At first, they remained still, like two floating flames, but it started to bob up and down, coming closer. As it reached the edge of the shadow, a pale white canine face was revealed. It was like a skull, with the red orbs contained inside the eyesockets. Moving even more out, as if materializing from the shadow itself, a matte black body with multiple bone-like appendages protruding from its back, emerged. It was well over six feet tall, even while crawling on all four limbs.

Weiss let out a gasp, but quickly stifled it with her hand. She ran into a Beowolf, one of the more vicious Grimm that are commonly seen. Not only that, this was the first time she encountered one so close.

She knew that Grimm were attracted to negative emotion, so she tried to keep them in check. And she thought it was working. The Beowolf had its eyes trained on her but otherwise didn't attack. It slowly moved around her, as if stalking its prey, and its heavy breath was so close that Weiss could feel the hot air on her skin, giving her goosebumps. But, then it took a whiff of the air, as if smelling her fear, and opened its mandibles wide to let out a roar

Berated by hot air and spit, Weiss couldn't help but scream.

The Beowolf lept into the air, its mandible wide open ready to snap her neck. All Weiss could do was cover her eyes and ears.

However, there was a shrill scream of metal slicing through the air, followed by a _shrrrk_ sound. Everything became quite for a moment, before it was interrupted by a wet thud. Unsure what just happened, Weiss cautiously opened her eyes and saw the now decapitated Beowolf slowly dissipate into black mist.

As for the object that caused this, it was a peculiar green fan, still spiraling through the air like a boomerang. A hand reached out and caught the fan perfectly by the handle. The hand belonged to Jade.

So many emotions were coursing through Weiss, but relief at seeing Jade again beat out the rest. She jumped into Jade's chest with a full embrace.

"Jade," Weiss cried. "I was so scared. I didn't know where you were and I was afraid I that I would get lost back here. And then the Beowulf just showed up out of nowhere. And…"

Jade patted Weiss on the hand to calm her.

"I'm sorry for leaving you for so long," she apologized. However, her voice was a little raspy. It was clear she had been running prior to meeting Weiss. "But it's not safe here. We need to head back to the plaza entrance. I'm sure there will be hunters there that can handle the situation better than we can."

Weiss only nodded. She just wanted to be somewhere safe and quiet. Her recent harrowing experience had left her exhausted.

As Weiss separated herself from Jade, she realized that they weren't alone. Behind Jade, stood a middle-age man with glasses and a full beard, half gray from age. Other than his small stature due to his slight hunch, there wasn't particularly noteworthy about him.

"Who's this man?" Weiss inquired.

"Oh, I'm Vulic," the man answered for Jade, albeit somewhat calmly considering the situation. "I'm just a simple tinkerer. You must be Weiss, your friend speaks highly of you."

"Yes," Jade agreed, scanning the area for any danger. "But now is not the place for introductions. We must get going."

As if on cue, two more Beowolf jumped out from the dark alleyways.

Jade grabbed a second pair of fan from her belt and flipped it open. Now that Weiss can see it clearly, she could tell they weren't ordinary fans. There was a crescent shaped blade at the end of the fan with three metal pieces, two on either end and one in the center, running from the base to the blade. These three pieces also had sharp tips and protrude past the crescent one.

Jade extended her right hand forward, pointing the fan at the approaching Beowolf, and the other held above her head with the fan pointed slightly downward. Weiss immediately recognized the pose.

"The Wallowing Crane…" Weiss gasp.

It was a dance that Jade performed when they first met. Since way back, Jade had always loved doing traditional Mistral fan dancing. But her style was unique. Rather than one fan which was the common practice, she sported two. Yet she still excelled. The way she gracefully danced to highlight the movement of each fan was breathtaking. Added on top of that her ability to manipulate wind, made her performance into a spectacle. Even now that she's a huntress, it seemed she still used two fans as her tools.

"Yes," Jade nodded at Weiss's comment. "I may not have that much training as a fighter, but I do know how to dance. Ever since I entered Beacon, I have been training to turn my dances into my fighting style."

The two Beowolf pounced on Jade. But she was ready for them. She spun to the left to avoid their attack and followed up with a sweep of her fans. Her weapons flashed through the air in a wide arc, slashing deep into one of the Beowolf's legs. It yelped as black mist erupt from the wound and tumbled away from the deadly weapon. It tried to keep itself steady from the wound, but Jade wouldn't give it time to recover. She twirls and spins toward the injure Beowolf, building up momentum, and threw one of her fans at the still beast. And like the Beowolf that Jade saved Weiss from, the fan effortlessly severed the Beowolf's head before arcing back towards Jade.

The second Beowolf took the opportunity while the fan was still returning to strike from behind. It raised its claws high and swung downwards. Unable to fully dodge out of the way, Jade instead raised her remaining fan up as if the block the attack. However, before the blow connected, the fan glowed bright green and she swung the fan away from her body. This motion generated a large gust of wind that redirect the Beowolf's strike, causing it to crash harmlessly beside her and cracking the pavement. The Beowolf then tried to snap at her with its mouth, but Jade avoided it by doing a backflip into the air. Trying to track where Jade will land, the beast raised it head up…

…exposing his vulnerable neck for the still spinning fan to slice through.

As the Beowolf crumbled, Jade finally landed gracefully on her feet and caught the spinning fan perfectly by the base. She then did a twirl and went into a bow with one fan covering her face and the other extend behind her.

Weiss couldn't help but clap at Jade's performance. However, Jade got embarrassed.

"Sorry," Jade apologized. "This happens all the time. I just get so focused, sometimes I forget that I'm fighting and not dancing."

A howl in the distance reminded them of their predicament.

Wasting no time, Jade holstered her fan blade and ushered the group back towards the main street. However, what greeted them was horrific. The once lively promenade was in ruins. Shops were on fire, stalls were strewn across the pavement in pieces, and the creatures of Grimm walked the streets in lieu of the citizen. There wasn't a single human in sight. Thankfully, the Grimm were mostly congregated on their left which meant that they haven't reached the main plaza yet. However, with the way the street was curved, the party won't be able to see the shopping district exit until they get around the bend some 200 meters away.

The party hugged the wall, making sure not to get spotted by the roaming Grimm. They slowly began to sneak through the crowd of Beowolf, but it wasn't very productive. The pack of Grimm was moving faster than the group can crawl. And every time a Beowolf got close they had to stop and wait until it left. If they continue at this pace, the pack will reach the plaza before they do and they will be stuck right in the middle of a horde of Grimm.

Realizing this, Jade turned to Weiss.

"We can't continue on like this," she whispered. "Weiss. I need you to listen carefully. I'm going get the Grimm's attention. While I do that, I need you to take Mr. Vulic and run as fast as you can to the exit. No stopping. No turning back. You hear?"

"No, that's too dangerous," Weiss implored. "There's so many of them. You can't possibly defeat them all."

Grabbing Weiss's shoulder, Jade looked into her eyes.

"Don't worry about me. I'm just keeping them distracted." She pointed towards the exit. "Once you get out, tell someone to send hunters this way. They will be able to deal with this situation better than I can."

Jade then smiled. "My job right now is to make sure you two get out of here safely. After all, that's my duty as a huntress."

With that said, Jade took out her two fans. However, what she did next took Weiss by surprise. She held the two fans together, sliding the base of one fan neatly into the base of the other. There was a click and the two fans joined together to form a chakram. She then jumped out from cover, the chakram raised high in the air, and landed on the Beowolf nearest their hiding area and digging one of the weapons pointed edge deep into the it. The beast toppled over with a howl, attracting the attention of all the nearby Grimm.

"GO!" Jade screamed.

Weiss hesitated for a moment, thinking about what she should do, but decided to follow Jade's instruction. With a nod to Vulic, the two began dashing down the street. Despite Vulic's feeble looking body, he was surprisingly nimble, able to keep pace with Weiss. A few Beowolf turned towards them as they ran, but Jade threw the chakram just as she threw her fans before and severed their torsos.

Like Jade had instructed, Weiss didn't stop running and didn't look back, despite desperately wanting to. All she focused on was the bend in the road some 200 meters away. As she ran, the adrenaline began to make everything feel as if going in slow motion. The destination was getting closer, but it felt like it was only inching closer. There was only 100 meters left to go. 80 meters. 60…

As they near the end, a scream caused Weiss to stop. At first, she thought that it came from Jade, but it didn't come from behind. Instead, it originated from another alleyway to her left connecting to the other main street. Out from the alley came a young woman in her twenties wearing a uniform from one of the shops in the area. But close behind her was a Beowolf.

Noticing Weiss and Vulic, the woman desperately pleaded.

"HELP ME, PLEASE!" she screamed.

The Beowolf took a swipe and grazed the woman's leg, causing her to fall on the ground.

Weiss was unsure what to do. She looked back towards Jade. It seemed she also her the woman's cry and was trying to disengage with the Beowolves, now only a few in numbers. But there was no way she will make it in time. Looking back at the woman, she was trying to crawl away, a look of despair in her eyes, as the Beowolf slowly crept towards her.

Weiss clenched her hands. The look the woman gave reminded her of how she had frozen up at the sight of a Beowolf before Jade saved her.

 _I'm just like her. Shaking in fear at the sight of a Beowolf. And here I thought I could be a huntress. How laughable._

But seeing the pain in the woman's eyes, Weiss couldn't just let it stand. She mustered whatever little courage she had and grabbed a wooden stave from a broken cart.

"You go on ahead," she directed to Vulic. "Get help like Jade said."

The middle age man gave Weiss a concerned look. "Are you sure you can handle this, young lady."

"I don't know," Weiss answered truthfully. "But I have to do something. I know how to fight."

The man was still worried, but nodded. "Be careful. I will get help as fast as I can."

Vulic started running again and soon disappeared around the bend. Meanwhile, Weiss concentrated. A large white circle formed around her feet and then a glyph appeared inside. This was her semblance. The semblance that she's been training ever since deciding to become a huntress. She held the stave close to her face, gripping it as if she was using Myrtenaster, and readied herself.

 _Ok, Weiss. Do it exactly as I learned. Left foot forward, hands firmly on the hilt, aaaaand… now!_

She jumped forward, and the white glyph propelled her forward at a great speed and she was upon the Beowolf just as it raised its paws to strike.

Weiss slammed into the side of the beast with a heavy thud, driving the stave into its belly. Her armed throbbed in pain at the impact, but she felt the stave pierce its side. A little giddy at landing a hit, she pulled back…only to realize that her makeshift weapon only left a small wound.

What it also did was piss off the Beowolf and now it directed its hollow glowing orbs at Weiss. It redirected the claw meant for the woman at Weiss, and she barely had enough time to enact another glyph, a black one, to stop the blow. It wasn't enough, though. The Beowolf smashed through Weiss's glyph and struck her hard, sending her flying. She bounced off the floor, her skin scrapping against the hard cement, before coming to a hard stop in a bloody mess. Her body was covered in cuts and bruises and blood was slowly seeping from her head. Her vision was also a bit blurry, but she could make out the silhouette of the Beowolf approaching her.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!"

A spinning disk shot down from the air, bifurcating the Beowolf, before burying itself into the ground.

With her vision cleared, Weiss that Jade in the air, after jumping off from a wall, and land next to her chakram. However, instead of picking it up, she ran to Weiss.

"Why did you do something like that?" she cried, her eyes teary. "You could've gotten yourself killed."

"Sorry," Weiss apologized weakly, wincing at the pain. "But I had to help her."

"I know, but there were other things you could've done instead of fighting," Jade berated her.

Weiss knew that. But she wanted to prove, more to herself, that she could fight as a huntress. The pain was a testament of how wrong she was.

As Jade helped Weiss to her feet, the young woman that was rescued approached them.

"Oh my god, I want to thank you for saving my life. I'm so sorry that you got hurt for my sake, but thank you, thank you, thank you."

The woman continuously poured out thanks until Jade raised her hand to stop her.

"She will be fine. Her injuries aren't severe. I will get her out, but you need go, before anymore shows up. Can you do that?"

The woman nodded furiously. Giving one last thanks, she began running towards the exit.

After she disappeared, Jade inspected Weiss again. "Are you okay? Can you walk?"

Weiss put some weight on her legs. Other than the pain from her scrapped knees, she was fine. She gave Jade a thumb up. However, as she dust herself off, she had a chilling revelation.

"What happened to the other Beowolves?"

Startled, Jade surveyed the area. Just as Weiss said, not a single Beowolf could be seen. This was extremely odd because just a few moments ago, Jade had a few of them on her tail while she was running here. She didn't like the quiet one bit. Either something scared them off, or there was a pack leader guiding them.

Cautiously walking over to her chakram, she peeled it from the floor and ready herself. She slowly backed towards Weiss, making sure to watch every corner in case of an ambush.

But she was looking at the wrong place. A shadow was casted over her and she heard Weiss gasp.

"It's above you!"

Doing a backflip, she just managed to avoid a large body of mass falling down on her. When she landed back on her feet, she took a moment to identify her assailant. However, what she saw wasn't what she expected.

She was expecting an Alpha Beowolf, but what she faced was much worst. It was big bipedal figure, about 10 feet tall, with long thick arms that nearly reach the ground. Its body was covered with thick black fur, especially on his face where it completely draped over its head like unkept hair. And on top of his head, two sinister looking horns protrude from his skull.

"What is that thing?" Weiss whimpered.

"A Yeti…" Jade replied warily. "An extremely dangerous Grimm only seen in mountainous areas. They are dangerous due to their massive strength and intelligence."

The yeti's eye, barely visible through the fur, darted between the two, trying to figure out who it should go after. Jade slowly crept towards Weiss to cover her, but the yeti noticed the movement and started barreling towards them.

Jade couldn't dodge out of the way because Weiss was right behind her, so she spun her chakram and generated a wind wall with her semblance. However, the wall wasn't capable of withstanding a ton of meat. The yeti slammed into the wind wall, which slowed it considerably, but send Jade flying backwards.

Jade landed nimbly, but her expression was panicked.

"Weiss, I need you to run. I think it's trying to attack you because you are defenseless."

Weiss peered at the yeti. Indeed, its red eyes seemed be trained on her.

Without another word, Weiss began to run.

However, the yeti was faster. Nimble as a cat, it leapt onto the nearest building and used it as a spring to launch himself in front of Weiss. When his massive frame landed, it shattered the concrete, causing a shockwave that caused Weiss to stumble. It reached out with one of his massive hands to grab her, but Jade's chakram came flying in and swatted its hand aside. Leaping into the air, Jade caught the weapon on its return trip and prepared another strike. The yeti swung with the back of his other hand, as if trying to swat a fly, but Jade avoided the hit by creating a torrent of wind to adjust her momentum.

Using this opening, Jade attempted to drive her weapon into the yeti's chest, but she miscalculated one thing. The hand that Jade hit with her chakram recovered and shot up, snatching Jade out of the air. Jade screamed in pain as the yeti tightened its grip. The yeti let out a bellowing roar at is success and threw Jade at a nearby building. She soared through the air at blinding speed, smashed through a support column and crashed with so much force into the stone wall, it left a crater.

There was a flash of light around Jade, her aura completely drained by the impact, and she crumbled onto the ground.

However, what happened next was worst. The fractured column caused the awning it supported to collapse. With her aura gone, there was nothing protecting Jade from the falling rubble. There was crunch as they landed followed by a painful scream.

As the dust settled, Weiss could only stare in horror at the lifeless body of her friend.

* * *

 **A/N: Sooo, this chapter was longer than I thought, so I split it again. Sorry about the cliffhanger.**


	7. The Yeti (Part 2)

_This can't be happening. No way. This is just a bad dream. It has to be!_

Weiss completely shut down. Her shoulder went slack, her head drooped, and she blankly stared at the floor.

With her friend now underneath a pile of debris, all sorts of negative emotions flooded her.

 _This is all my fault. She got hurt protecting me. I should have fled when I had the chance._

She couldn't think straight, couldn't figure out what to do in this situation.

In her misery, the Yeti had gotten returned to her, casting a large shadow. It stared coldly at Weiss and raised its fist, preparing to crush her.

And Weiss didn't do a thing. She had lost all hope. She only closed her eyes and accepted her demise. What can she do against that thing?

The monster let out a roar and brought its fists down.

Weiss braced herself for the blow. But as she sat there, a picture of Jade formed in her mind. She remembered her calm demeaner, her warm embrace, and her gentle smile. She also recalled Jade's sadness and worry when she was injured by the Beowolf. These thoughts jolted Weiss back to reality.

 _I can't die now. Not after she gave so much for me._

Golden light surrounded Weiss, forming a glyph under her. But it was different from her usual glyph. Instead of the Schnee crest, it was in the shape of a clock. The hands of the clock began spinning rapidly and Weiss could feel everything around her slow. The fist that was closing in on her now approach her at a crawl.

Using the opportunity, Weiss leapt out of the Yeti's reach, leaving the area of her glyph along the way. The moment she stepped out, time returned to its normal pace and the looming fist crashed into the now fading golden glyph. The force from the attack shattered the cement, creating a shockwave that sent Weiss flying. She curled up as she landed to mitigate the impact and landed next to the rubble where Jade was buried.

Seeing Jade's still upper body sticking out from the rubble caused Weiss's heart to ache, but she shook it off. Now wasn't the time to get emotional. She quickly crawled to Jade's side and put two fingers on her neck to check her pulse.

There was a beat! She's still alive!

As her finger laid on Jade's cold skin, Weiss noticed Jade's hand twitched. It appeared that Jade was only unconscious.

Weiss stood up and assessed the situation. The stone awning on top of Jade was pretty big, but luckily, the crash had caused it to shatter into smaller fragments, making it easier to move it with her semblance.

However, two issue exists.

One, without Dust, creating glyphs powerful enough to move the stone pieces will be taxing. Especially now, since she was already drained from creating a Time Dilation without a catalyst. As for the second issue…

The Yeti made a deep gurgling sound at its missed hit. Its eyes are now glued at Weiss and it seemed to flare with rage. It ready itself to leap at Weiss and Jade.

Weiss bit her bottom lip in frustration. She wanted to protect the vulnerable Jade from the menacing Grimm, but she knew it would be futile. Jade had helped her so much, but now that she needs help, Weiss couldn't do anything.

But that doesn't mean she can't try. She ready herself to create another glyph as the beast started its charge.

Suddenly, a bright purple bolt rained down from the sky and struck the Yeti in the back. The blast put the Grimm off balance and it tumbled.

Surprised at this turn of event, Weiss looked to the sky where the shot came from and noticed a girl hovering above the buildings.

It was Amethyst.

"It's directly in front!" Amy called out.

Weiss didn't know what she meant by that, but found out a moment later, when the door to a building nearby blasted open in a shower of splinter and out jumped Daemon holding a translucent white kite shield made of some sort of energy. He held the shield in front of himself and blasted into the Yeti with such force, it knocked him to the opposite side of the street.

The yeti roared in rage and tried to get back on its feet. Daemon just calmly took out a blue crystal, a sapphire, and began chanting.

"Sapphire. Keeper of Peace. Restrain!"

He threw the blue stone at the Yeti. As it streaked towards it, it flashed brightly and blue chains shot out, wrapping itself around the beast. Completely bounded, it thrashed wildly trying to free himself.

Once he was sure the beast was subdued, Daemon's glowing shield collapsed and appeared to be sucked into a large heart-shaped diamond embedded in the bulky gauntlet on his right arm. He gave a thumbs-up to Amy and she started gliding down towards Weiss.

"Thank goodness we found you," Amy said as she floated down. She wasn't wearing the clothes from the day before. Instead, it was a sailor-like uniform with a frilly short skirt. On her back was a large glittery ribbon shaped like wings. As for what created the bolt, she held a short colorful staff, with an purple crystal emblazoned in one end with two wings sprouting underneath.

As she touched down, the ribbon glowed brightly and wrapped around her whole body. When the light faded, it was gone and she was wearing her usual robe again.

"After the explosion, we came looking for you, but had to deal with some Grimm along the way. Then this old guy came running out of the shopping district telling us you guys were in trouble. We heard the roar and followed it to you. Where's …"

As she got close, she noticed the collapsed figure of Jade behind Weiss. She covered her mouth with her hand in shock.

"No…"

"Oh dear, this looks bad," Daemon commented as he approached.

Amy crouched down in front of Jade, putting her hand on Jade's shoulders.

"Oh my god, Jade. Please tell me you're still alive!"

Jade twitched and slowly turned her head, relieving everyone. However, she was in a bad shape. Her eyes were sunken and blood was coming from her mouth.

"…so…loud." Jade wheezed with a small smile. "I'm…alright…"

"No, you're not!" Amy stated angrily. She gave Daemon a hard look, as if signaling something to him.

Daemon nodded, and took out another gem, this time an emerald. He spoke another chant and place the gem close to Jade. Green mist poured out from the gem and covered Jade. Color returned to her face and some of her lighter wounds healed. But she still had the pained look on her face.

"Wha –" Weiss gasped.

"That's my semblance," Daemon explained. "Gems don't have any inherit energy like Dust. But they still have a purpose, even if it's only to serve as a placebo. From good luck charms to symbol of status, each gem has its own meaning that we ascribe them. My semblance allows me to make gems do what people believe they can do…to a certain extent."

He held the emerald out for Weiss to see.

"Emerald. It is known for its property for rejuvenating the soul."

Then, he displayed the diamond on his gauntlet.

"However, a gem can acquire different meaning from those who own them. Each meaning is embodied within that gem, making it more versatile and powerful. The Prisma Diamond on my gauntlet has been passed down for generation to protect the Prisma line, therefore I can use it to create an impenetrable shield."

He finally looked back at Jade with a pained expression.

"Unfortunately, the semblance merely makes gems function like Dust. I can't heal the injuries Jade suffered. I simply jump started her Aura and used the emerald to create an anesthetic effect. If we want to save Jade, we need to escort her to a proper medical facility. However…"

He turned to face the Yeti, who was still the struggling to break free from its chains. It seemed to be succeeding as the chain started to fracture.

"…getting Jade out while this monstrosity is around will be highly improbable. And I don't believe the two of us are sufficient in defeating it."

As Daemon kept his eye on the Yeti, Jade moaned as she turn her head to look at her friends.

"I'm … sorry," she apologized, her voice so soft it was barely audible. "I failed …and now … you guys are in trouble because of me. I'm so pathetic…"

"No!" Amy cried. "You're not! You were dealt a bad hand. If you weren't there to hold it off, things could have been far worse. So don't say something like that!"

Weiss hand tightened into a fist. She always looked up to Jade for her strong, optimistic nature. So for her to deride herself like that was too painful to listen. She didn't want it to end like this. She couldn't do anything before so now was her chance to change that.

"I have a plan," Weiss spoke up, startling Daemon and Amy. "We don't have to defeat that thing. We are here to save Jade, not to kill that Grimm. As long as we all escape it's our win. I can get Jade out from under there with my semblance. All I need is some Dust crystal to fuel my glyphs. However, I need you guys to keep the Yeti distracted. That thing is smart. It knows to target the most vulnerable person. If you two can stop it from approaching, then we might have a chance. What do you think?"

Daemon took a moment to consider Weiss proposal. He looked to Amy and she gave an emphatic nod. The two smiled at their little silent agreement and stood up, drawing their weapons.

"An excellent proposal. I am in agreement."

"No problem from me!"

Daemon's shield lit up, forming into a kite shield again. However, this time it was pointed vertically, the solid white energy extending from his arm like a blade.

As for Amy, her short staff transformed. The handle doubled in length and the wings on her short staff folded upwards, encircling the gem, and then expanded to reveal sharp edges, turning into a glaive. Her robe flare brightly and unraveled itself. However, rather than forming the wing-like ribbon, this time it coalesced around her chest and arms to form heavy leather armor.

"Battle Girl Amy, reporting for duty," Amy called out gleefully.

Daemon took a glance at Amy and chuckled.

"A new configuration? Honestly, your ability to manipulate your clothing doesn't cease to amaze me."

"Hehe, a compliment from you? Are you feeling alright?"

"I can't catch a break, can I?" Daemon sighed. "By the way, do you carry any Dust crystals on you?"

"Nope!"

Daemon took out a cylindrical white crystal and tossed it to Weiss.

"'A hunter should always keep a few Dust crystals close in case of an emergency' isn't that what we were taught? Someone's been slacking."

"Do you wanna know why I don't carry any?" Amy teased. She punched Daemon in the shoulder before turning around and ready herself against the Yeti, who just broke from his restraints. "It's because you always carry extras."

Daemon sighed again and follow suit. "You're a handful sometimes, you know that?"

"Oh, I know."

The team was now ready. Daemon and Amy stood up front while Weiss sat behind them, focusing on forming a large glyph around the collapsed awning while she clenched the Dust crystal tightly.

The Yeti bellowed angrily at the party, preparing itself to attack them for restraining it. But before it can make its move, Daemon and Amy were already rushing towards it.

Daemon came in first. He punched out with his shield arm, trying to drive his shields pointed in end into the Yeti's stomach, but the Grimm curled up to absorb the impact of the blow with its thick skin. Before it can retaliate, however, Daemon kicked off from the Yeti's arm, allowing Amy to rush in with an uppercut from her glaive. The strike sliced into the beast' arm and caused black ooze to splash from the wound. As it reeled back, it attempted to kick Amy who was vulnerable after her heavy swing, but its foot hit a barrier formed by one of Daemon's gem that he placed down when he rushed in. The barrier gave Amy just enough time to recover and she started attacking with a flurry of slashes, with each slash accompanied by a splash of black ooze.

While her strikes were landing, they weren't severe enough. It leapt back to avoid her attacks and tried to counter with a punch, but she used her glaive as a pole vault and jumped over it. While she was above it, she drove her glaive into its shoulder. Following up, Daemon came in again and bashed his shield into its face.

Reeling from the double team, it let out an angry howl. I dashed backwards, attempting to slam his back against a wall to dislodge Amy. She saw it coming and jumped off its back. However, the beast expected this.

Using the wall to reverse his momentum, he barreled towards Amy. She tried to escape, but the Grimm's large arm clipped her and sent her flying backwards. As she tumbled on the ground, the Yeti continued forward to finish her off only to be blocked by Daemon with his shield, now rotated back to its vertical configuration. Daemon slide backwards from the momentum of the large Grimm, but managed to keep his center of balance. With a shout, he caused the energy that formed his shield to scatter, using the violent explosion to create some distance between them.

"Ruby! Bring light upon darkness! Ignite!" Daemon cried, pointing a large ruby at the stumbling Grimm.

A red beam shot out and the Yeti was wrapped in flames. It cried in pain as it rolled on the ground to put it out.

"Amethyst, are you alright?" Daemon said as he rushed to Amy's side.

He offered his hand to help her up, but she declined, opting to get on her feet using her glaive as support.

"Having such a large body is so unfair," Amy commented, wincing at the pain. "Can't cut deep enough. Plus, it's not cute at all."

Daemon sighed in relief. He checked back on Weiss. Her glyph was doing work as large section of the broken awning was slowly floating away. From the look of things, she was halfway through the heap. However, Amy's next words brought him back to his duty.

"Heads up. Looks like our massive friend is still kicking."

He inspected the now smoking Yeti. The fire didn't seem to have much of an effect. Other than a few scorch marks on the white bone like membranes on his body, it appeared completely fine.

The two prepared themselves again, but the Yeti did something unexpected. Instead of charging, it crouched down and started spewing black mist out of its mouth. The mist spread at first, but then started to coalesce into small sphere. Red eyes sprouted from these spheres and they unfold to reveal small wasp-like Grimm.

"Uh-oh, this might be a problem," Amy remarked.

Daemon couldn't agree more.

The mist formed over a hundred of these little Grimm and when the last of the mist completed morphing, they began buzzing angrily towards the pair. The two were forced retreated to Weiss.

Weiss looked up from her task tasked, confused why they came back to her. She gasped when she saw the horde of black insects rushing towards them.

"What are those things!?" Weiss cried.

"Locusts," Amy answered. "Harmless by themselves, but extremely dangerous in a swarm. I can't believe that kept them inside of itself. Blegh, gross."

"Well, what do we do?"

This time, Daemon answered.

"I got this."

He retracted his shield and then placed his gauntleted hand on the ground.

"Prisma Diamond. Shield us from evil. Ward!"

The diamond on his gauntlet flashed brilliantly, brighter than all his other gems. The light dazzled Weiss, causing her to shut her eyes. But when she opened them again, the four of them were surrounded by a bubble of shimmering energy.

Outside, the Locust completely covered the entire bubble, angrily bouncing off the protective surface.

"Is…is this going to hold?" Weiss tentatively asked.

"Not for long," Daemon said as sweat start drip from his face. "The bubble is powerful, but it depletes my Aura tremendously."

Meanwhile, Amy, unperturbed by their predicament, stared at Daemon with glittery eyes.

"Oh my god, this is the perfect opportunity for 'that'."

At the mentioned of 'that', Daemon's face dropped.

"As much as I don't want to admit it, it seems 'that' may be our only option. But please Amethyst, don't overdo it this time."

Amy only gave a big smile. "Hehe, no guarantees."

With that, Amy transformed her glaive back into the wand. While she did that, Daemon broke the bubble. The sphere exploded in a shower of energy, knocking back the Locusts.

In the brief moment before the Locust came rushing back, Daemon took out another gem from his belt. This time it was a light purple amethyst. He paused for a moment to stare at the gem, his expression a bit livid, but it passed and he tossed it into the air.

In an uncaring monotonous tone, he chanted. "Amethyst. Blah blah blah. Do what you will."

The amethyst glowed while it rose, but otherwise didn't do anything. However, Amy pointed her staff at the soaring gemstone and fired a purple bolt at it. The bolt struck the gem and got absorbed into it. It hung in the air, vibrating from the excess energy, then it release the bolt in a shower of smaller bolts. These bolts rained down around the group, striking the Locust with precision as they approach. And it just kept going. Soon, the Locust were all smitten by purple bolts and the gem finally stopped shooting.

But that wasn't the end.

As the gem fell, Amy transformed her staff back into the glaive. She readied as if to throw it and aimed it at the Yeti. When the gem fell into the line-of-sight, the crystal on her glaive glowed.

"EAT THIS!" Amy screamed, and threw her glaive. It struck the amethyst, which enveloped the glaive in energy, and formed a large bolt that blazed towards the Yeti.

The Yeti was enveloped by the light and the energized kept glaive kept going, boring a large hole into the shop behind it. The energy faded and everything became quiet.

Daemon and Jade both collapsed on the ground, exhausted. That last attack had cost them all their remaining power. At the same time, Weiss managed to remove the last bit of rubble, freeing Jade from her prison.

"We did it!" Weiss cried, sweat pouring from her head. Both Daemon and Amy raised their fist in victory, too out-of-breadth to say anything.

In a cheery mood, Weiss reached out to help Jade to her feet, but as Jade tried to lift herself, she fell heavily.

"I…I can't feel my legs," Jade said.

Weiss's expression fell, destroying her jubilation earlier. But that wasn't the worst of it.

From the large gaping hole in the store, Amy's glaive was violently tossed out. Following it came the Yeti. Its left arm was missing, but otherwise, it was still alive. And very angry.

"Are you kidding me?" Amy cried. "How much punishment can that thing take?"

Despair once again flooded Weiss's heart. They were so close. But now it was all over. Daemon and Amy were too exhausted to fight. Jade couldn't move. And she didn't have the strength to get them all to safety.

Weiss crumbled to the ground and beat the cement with her fist. If only there was someone else that can help…

Before she could finish her thought, an arrow made of energy dug into the Yeti's legs from behind. Out from the shadow of the alley, came a young man carrying a compound bow, wearing a tattered green hoodie. It was Yu.

The Yeti howled and swung its remaining hand at him as he calmly walked passed it. But it seemed to fly right over his head. Confused, it attempted to bring his fist down upon his head, but again was just shy from hitting him. Now completely wary, the Yeti retreated a bit and tried to comprehend what just happened.

While the Grimm did that, Yu reach the group. Instead of checking on everyone, he walked straight to Jade.

"Did that thing do this to you?" he asked curtly

Understanding what he meant, Jade tried to dissuade him.

"Please Yu, there's no reason to fight. Everyone is tired, if you can get us to…

"DID THAT THING DO THIS DO YOU!?" he repeated, his voice rising in anger.

Jade looked at him pleadingly, but she knew there wasn't anything that can change his mind.

Taking her silence as confirmation, he faced the Yeti, his expression filled with murderous intent.

"A group of hunters will be arriving shortly," he stated. "Before they arrive…"

He pointed his bow at the Yeit. Its limbs started to fold in. As it did that, two blades shot out from either side of the grip where his hand held the bow, transforming it into a sword.

"…I will exterminate it."

He dashed forward at blinding speed, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. The Yeti attempted to swat him, but he jumped over his swinging arm. It attempted to use the momentum of his swing to attack again, but Yu dodged it again by spinning. Large gashes appeared on its arm as the second attack flew by.

He landed on the beast's chest and drove his sword into its chest. The Yeti roared and tried to grab him. However, as if seeing it coming, he leapt back, transforming his sword back into a bow and firing a few shots. The Yeti then launched a series a swift attack, each of which Yu narrowly avoided while maintaining his constant stream of arrows.

"How does he dodge like that?" Weiss wondered.

Amy, now back on her feet, replied in a serious tone. "His semblance, Clairvoyance. He is capable of seeing the future. One of the most powerful semblance ever."

"Stop spreading lies, Amethyst," Daemon said as he conked her in the head, causing her to clutch her head. "It may appear as if he is predicting the future, but his semblance merely enhanced eyesight. With it he can notice the flow of energy around it. I don't know the specifics of it, but he can see the Yeti's attack coming because he can see the electrical impulses flowing through its body."

"What's so wrong about making people believe he can see the future," Amy mumbled. "I think its way cooler than 'enhance eyesight.'"

To that, Daemon only shook his head in frustration.

As if proving that Yu's semblance wasn't future sight, he transformed his weapon to a blade and stabbed it into the Yeti in the stomach again only to have his blade stuck in the beast's fat. It took this opportunity to rip Yu from its stomach, his bowblade still lodged in its stomach, and toss him aside. Yu crashed into a pile of burning wooden carts, but he shrugged it off. When he recovered, he briefly looked back at his teammates, his glowing green eyes glancing at Amy and Daemon, before rushing back in. The Grimm grabbed a pile of stone and tossed it at Yu. Even with his semblance, he couldn't avoid all the pellets. Yet, he still pushed onward.

At this point, Amy and Daemon readied their weapons again.

"Alright, I'm feeling all better now. You?" Amy said excitedly.

"Enough for one last assault," Daemon replied.

The two dashed off, following close behind Yu.

Yu reach the Yeti first, avoiding its attack and reaching his sword. With a scream, he yanked his blade upward and carved a long vertical line on the beast chest. The Yeti cried out and in its desperation, tried to spew his black mist out again. However, Amy and Daemon arrived at that moment. Amy drove her glaive down on the beast's remaining arm, pinning it to the ground, while Daemon smashed into its knee to make it kneel. Yu drove his sword into the beast's neck and yelled as loud as he can.

"JUST…DIE…ALREADY!"

The space between the two blades of Yu's weapon crackled with energy and a powerful blast shot forth. The Yeti's head was engulf by the beam and when it faded, its head was completely obliterated.

The Yeti final collapsed on the ground, lifeless.

Yu stared at the corpse for a moment, before facing his teammates.

"All I needed was a distraction. Jumping in like that was unneccessary."

Daemon and Amy looked at each other and chuckled.

"Yes, the great Yu can fight off anything by himself," mocked Daemon.

"I can see why Jade always call you a tsundere," teased Amy.

There was a prattle of footsteps a short distance away. A group of hunters and paramedic rounded the corner and approached them.

Their fight was over.


	8. Epilogue

It's been three days since the event at the shopping district. After that fight, the paramedics rushed them to the hospital, which was swarming with the injured. There were so many that tents were set up outside to treat those with minor injuries. Everyone was sent to these tents, but Jade was rushed into the emergency room.

Treatment didn't take a long. They had only suffered some minor cuts and bruises so they only stayed at the camp for a few hours. However, while they wanted to check up on Jade's status immediately, they were stopped by some officials who interrogated them on the event.

It wasn't until the following day did a doctor reached out to them about Jade's status.

"I'm sorry to inform you…but your friend has suffered severe damage to her spine and she may never be able to walk again."

The news shocked everyone. Even Yu, who remained stoic as ever, visibly tightened up at the news.

"Is there nothing that can be done?" Daemon implored. "If it's a matter of resource, I can provide plenty."

"Same!" Weiss piped in.

The doctor only shook his head. "If it was that simple, I wouldn't be breaking the news to you now. The nerves in her spine are beyond repair and we don't have the technology yet to help her."

Since the news, Weiss didn't know how to face Jade. She put off visiting her until the following day.

Now, she stood in front of Jade's hospital room, a bit too nervous to knock. She didn't know what to say to her, how to comfort her. In the back of her mind, she still blamed herself for her injury.

Timidly, she raised her hand to knock on the door, but before her fist could rap on the metal door, it swung opened.

Out stepped Yu, a little taken back by someone in front of the door. However, when he noticed it realized it was Weiss, his countenance darkened with hate. Without a word, he brushed passed Weiss and walked away.

Weiss hesitantly stepped through the open door, not wanting to awkwardly knock again when the opportunity to enter was already in front of her.

Once inside, she saw Jade sitting in her reclined bed and staring out the window. Her expression was calm, though somewhat melancholic, and looked completely healthy.

Weiss cleared her throat to get her attention. Jade's head swiveled around, a bit surprised.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were here," Jade said.

"Sorry," Weiss apologized, her head bowed. "I was outside when your brother left…so I decided to let myself in."

Weiss peeked up to check Jade's reaction.

She had her usual kind smile. She patted the chair next to her bed.

"Come, sit."

Weiss slowly shuffled to the chair and sat down. Looking at Jade, if she didn't know any better, it didn't seem like she was paralyzed at all.

They just sat there quietly, neither trying to say something. The only sound came from the TV mounted in the room.

 _"…_ _officials believed that the terrorist attack three days ago was caused by the White Fang, a Faunus group that have caused many incidents in the last few years since their new leader took the mantle. However, they have not claimed this attack as their own and without solid evidence, we can only speculate. Meanwhile, Atlas Academy has stated that the Vytal Festival will not be cancelled in light of recent event. They stated that the attack only serves to underscore the importance of Vytal Festival and of those who are participating. The first match of the Festival will begin tomorrow."_

Weiss balled her fist tightly at the news. During the interrogation the previous day, she had mentioned the two Faunus she met in the alley, but it seemed that they were never found.

Having enough of the silence, Weiss finally spoke up.

"Um…how are you…feeling?" Weiss timidly asked. She braced herself for her reply.

Jade tilted her head quizzically, but then gave a big smile.

"Oh you know. All the examinations were exhausting, but other than that, I'm right as rain."

Weiss couldn't believe how calm Jade was about her predicament.

"But…but you can't walk anymore!" Weiss cried. "You won't be able to fight in the Vytal Festival! You won't be able to dance! You won't…"

Jade put her finger on Weiss's lips, silencing her. She was still smiling, but it was a smile tinged with sorrow.

"I know," she replied calmly. "And it pains me that I can't do those things anymore. But, I've come to accept it. Back then, we were in a dire situation. Surrounded by Grimm and with not help, many hunters die in that kind of situation. But not only did we survive, we saved the lives of two people. If my paralysis was the price to pay for that, then I am happy with that."

"No!" Weiss yelled, standing up. "It wouldn't have ended up like that if I just listened. If I just ran away and didn't rush in so recklessly you wouldn't be…"

"Don't!" Jade raised her voice to stop Weiss. "Don't blame yourself. You did what you felt was right. I may have scolded you, but if you didn't jump in, she most certainly would've died. What's done is done. So please, don't regret the decisions you've made."

Weiss balled her fist. She knew that nothing's going to change the past. But with Jade's future ruined by her own inexperience, she sought some form of punishment, if only to serve as a catharsis from her self-loathing.

Taking a deep breath, Weiss continued.

"So, what will you do now?" she asked.

Jade's eye furrowed as she pondered this.

"Once I'm discharged in a few weeks, I will be returning to Beacon to finish off the rest of the school year. Of course, I won't be doing any training, just the lectures and exams. After that…," she stopped, trying to figure out how to phrase her words. "After that, I'm not entirely sure myself. I still want to continue as a huntress, but everyone keeps telling me it will be impossible. But I feel that I can still do something. I chose to become a huntress to protect those I love. And the event three days ago made me realize how much I still need to learn before I can do that. So, even if I'm crippled, I wish to continue."

"So…you won't stay? Atlus is known for its advance technology. Surely, they will find a way to help you walk again."

Jade patted her on the head.

"I'm sure they will one day, but I don't want to wait for that day. There is still so much I want to learn and do. I don't want to be stuck in the present, I want to move towards the future even if that has to be in a wheelchair."

As she patted Weiss, she suddenly realized something. Reaching into a nearby drawer, she took out a black box and handed it to Weiss.

Weiss examined it curiously before opening up the box.

Inside was a hairpin. Specifically, it was Jade's hairpin, but a bit different. It was one half snowflake. However, there were more small prongs than she remembered. Not only that, the rod wasn't horizontal to the crystalline icicles, but instead, were two vertical extensions.

"Isn't this…" Weiss started, but Jade finished for her.

"That's right. It was my hairpin. It broke when I was buried under all the rubble, but I manage to scavenge most of the pieces when you got me out. Then, yesterday Mr. Vulic came a visited and I asked him if he can make a new hairpin out of it for you. I told him about the tiara we saw at that shop, and this was what he made. Isn't it nice?"

"I can't accept this," Weiss said, shaking her head. "This is something precious to you. You should keep it."

But Jade just laughed.

"Hahaha, you know, when Mr. Vulic brought this to me, he told me something. Remember when I said that he made this for me before I left Atlus three years ago? Apparently, it was a gift meant for you, but I had forgotten about it when I heard the news about my parents. So, in a way, I'm returning it to its rightful owner."

Weiss stared at the glittering hairpin in her hand. "Are you sure?"

Jade nodded emphatically. "Try it on. Here, let me help you."

Weiss sat on the bed while Jade messed with her hair. Once Jade tied her hair into a ponytail, she stuck the pin in, the curved hairpin perfectly aligning with the bun.

"There. All done," Jade announced. She turned Weiss around and gave her a look down. "Wow, you truly look like a little ice princess now."

Weiss face flushed red. She reached up and felt the hairpin, making sure that it was secured.

Staring at Jade's smiling face, Weiss was reminded why she admired her so much. Even when her situation was so bad, she still kept her gentle smile and positive outlook. Her confidence was something that Weiss wish she had.

Resolving herself, Weiss began voicing her thoughts. Thoughts that have been growing since three days ago.

"Jade," she began. "Back then, before the explosion when we were separated, someone told me I was just a spoiled princess, unable to do anything by myself."

Jade gave a surprised expression, but otherwise, didn't say anything.

"I wanted to deny his claim, but I couldn't. Deep down, I knew that's what I was. And that was further proven, when the Grimms attacked. I couldn't do anything and only got in your way. That was very frustrating. Watching that woman almost get killed and you buried under a pile of stone made realize how weak I was. I boasted about my skills as a huntress, but I can't do anything. I can't save anyone. But, I still want to become a huntress. If I learned anything from three days ago, it was that I don't want something like that to happen again. I don't want to rely on others to save me. And at the same time, I want to fight for those who can't defend themselves.

"I will not let your sacrifice be in vain. You've given me a second chance at the cost of your own. So I decided. In two years, I will make it into Beacon Academy. I will fight in the Vytal Festival and reach the top. All for you. To show you that I have what it takes to become a huntress. And to carry on your legacy."

Weiss touched the tiara hairpin.

"I promise upon this gift you given me. It will be that which your hopes and dreams can continue. So when we meet again, I will show you the result of your gift."

Jade listened to Weiss in wonder. Her eyes watered and she wiped the little droplets that formed.

"My, you've matured so fast. I guess I shouldn't call you ice princess anymore. You're now an Ice Queen."

Weiss gave her a glare. She was being so serious, but Jade made fun of her again.

However, Jade looked Weiss in the eyes, acknowledging her words.

"I hope I will see that day soon."

She held out her hand for Weiss to shake.

"It's a promise then. Show me how far you can fly."

Weiss smiled back at her. She reached out and grasped her hand.

"I will."

* * *

 **Thank you everyone for reading. Let me know what you think. I'm planning on writing more stories so stay tuned!**


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